The exultation of taking his fifth world title may be behind him but Lewis Hamilton’s determination to turn the screw until the final chequered flag is beyond doubt. His pole position for the season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was further evidence of the exceptional form he has displayed this year and proof that he intends to leave his rivals in no doubt about the strength of his motivation going into next season.

He will be joined on the 2019 grid by Britain’s George Russell, who will make his debut for Williams as the GP2 champion after winning the feature race at Abu Dhabi to seal the title in his rookie year. Russell, a Mercedes junior driver and this year their reserve driver, once again showed his exceptional promise, having lost first place off the grid to come back with a pit undercut he called for the win. He has now won seven this season, matching the F2 record of Charles Leclerc and Stoffel Vandoorne.

Hamilton and Mercedes are finishing on a high that reflects their fifth consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ double. They could not have concluded the final qualifying session in finer style, with Valtteri Bottas in second aptly ensuring their fifth consecutive front-row lockout at Yas Marina.

In the past Hamilton has been accused of losing focus after sealing the title and this year is the first when he has won the next race after having done so. With overtaking in Abu Dhabi difficult he is in the best possible position and clearly intent on going into the close season with a victory.

“I don’t think it was because I couldn’t do it in the past, I just didn’t do the job,” he said. “I think this year it was being in a different place in my life. I do want to continue to push the limits, push the boundaries, and I want to finish the season on a solid high if I can so that I can really continue to keep that foundation as strong as it has been this year, so I can use that to start on next year.”

The numbers that reflect Hamilton’s title this year make ominous reading for his rivals. His 83rd pole, a record in itself, was his 52nd in 100 races, an extraordinary percentage. It was his 11th this season – no other driver has come close to his consistency and superiority over the single-lap discipline.

Hamilton laid down his marker with a superb run on the ultrasoft tyres in Q2. He backed it with his first hot lap in Q3, which included a small lockup, and was then able to improve with his second run. He executed almost perfectly, especially in the final sector, and could not be matched, although Sebastian Vettel (who was third) and Bottas clearly gave their all. Bottas was still over a tenth back and Vettel three-tenths. Hamilton’s lap time of 1min 34.794secs was another new track record in a season in which the cars have gone quicker than ever.

He described his final qualifying run in the car as an emotional moment but was adamant that his success had been a collective effort. “I put it down to teamwork,” he said. “We’re all constantly working so closely together, really elevating each other and this year, if you look at the team’s performance on the race weekend, our mechanics, our engineers, strategists, we’ve all raised our game. It’s never ever been perfect, neither of us as drivers, but collectively, as a team, I think we’ve really continued to elevate ourselves which is again inspiring for me, and that encourages me to go out there and not want to let them down.”

There remains the business of the final race to conclude but with three wins at Yas Marina already under his belt, finishing a remarkable season as the most successful driver at the circuit and carrying heady confidence into next year is well within his grasp.

Kimi Räikkönen was in fourth with the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen in fifth and sixth. Romain Grosjean in the Haas was in seventh, with Sauber’s Charles Leclerc in eighth. Force India’s Esteban Ocon was in ninth in front of the Renault of Nico Hülkenberg.

Fernando Alonso, in his final qualifying session before leaving F1, was in 15th place. Carlos Sainz in the Renault was in 11th in front of Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and the Haas of Kevin Magnussen and the Force India of Sergio Pérez.

Brendon Hartley went out in Q1 in 16th place in front of his Toro Rosso team-mate Pierre Gasly. Stoffel Vandoorne was in 18th for McLaren with the two Williams of Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll once again bringing up the rear in 19th and 20th.